Study in Paris – Summer 2025
Literature and Psychology: Inspiration in the City of Light
Few cities can match Paris for literary, artistic and intellectual inspiration. From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre, Paris is a “moveable feast” for the creative or curious mind.
- Experience first-hand the Left Bank’s bustling streets and café terraces
- Trace the steps of writers, artists, architects and philosophers
- See the wonders of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and Notre Dame
As we immerse ourselves in the traditions and history of Paris, we will also discover the modern diversity and culture of this cosmopolitan and global community.
Courses in the program will focus on examination of literature and composition as well as psychology with Paris as the backdrop. We’ll explore the psychology and sociological impact
of an ever-emerging city and its people. And we will add our own creative perspective, writing and thinking about our newly discovered Paris and newly discovered selves.
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
– Ernest Hemingway
We hope you can join us this summer!
Make Plans Now!
Please fill out the interest form to receive more information and the trip application when it's available.
Meet Your Instructors
Julie Pesano has taught English at De Anza College since 1997. During this time, she has led study abroad programs to Paris, London and the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon. Her love of studying abroad began during graduate school in Cambridge, England, and she has since studied extensively in Oxford and Paris.
Inspired by her travels, she has written literary tours of Great Britain, Paris and Northern California. Her writing can be found at juliepesano.com.
Susan Thomas fulfilled her dream of working with college students when she joined the Psychology Department at De Anza in 2016. She brings curiosity to everything she does, and hopes to inspire lifelong learning about human behavior and thinking in her students.
Fueled by her own experiences traveling the world, living and working in Japan, and immersing herself in other cultures, she looks forward to exploring the application of psychological concepts with you in Paris!
Classes Include
- EWRT 1A: Composition and Reading
- EWRT 1B: Reading, Writing and Research
- EWRT 1C: Literature and Composition
- EWRT 2: Critical Reading, Writing and Thinking
- EWRT 42: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction and Memoir Writing
- ELIT 10: Introduction to Fiction
- ELIT 21: Women in Literature
- PSYC 1: General Psychology
- PSYC 8: Introduction to Social Psychology
- PSYC 9: Psychology of Human Relationships and Normal Adjustment
- PSYC 14: Developmental Aspects of Psychology
Paris Trip Contacts
Julie Pesano
English Instructor
- pesanojulie@deanza.edu
- 408.864.8653
Susan Thomas
Psychology Instructor
Leah Riley
Administrative Contact
- rileyleah@deanza.edu
- 408.780.9719